StudioTulsa

4:41 pm

Wed November 13, 2013

StudioTulsa on Health: A Conversation with Brent Wolfe of the Tulsa County Juvenile Bureau

On this edition of ST on Health, guest host John Henning Schumann conducts an interesting conversation with Brent Wolfe, director of the Tulsa County Juvenile Bureau. Most of us probably already know that Oklahoma's incarceration rate is alarmingly high --- our state ranks a shameful third in the nation in this regard --- but what might not be as commonly known is that many of these incarcerated adults began to run afoul of the law as juvenile offenders. Working with such juveniles --- who tend to be (usually) aged 14, 15, or 16, with about 3/4 of them being male --- is Wolfe's core concern; he's a dedicated, intelligent, and compassionate professional who speaks with both candor and insight about working to assist these individuals --- and also, importantly, to likewise assist their families. As we can read of Wolfe's work, in a broader sense, at the Tulsa County Juvenile Bureau's website: "The mission of the Tulsa County Juvenile Bureau is to collaboratively promote and administer prevention, justice, and effective treatment in a fair, timely, and appropriate manner with dignity and respect for the needs of the children, youth, and families and for the safety of our community. Oklahoma developed one of the first juvenile courts in the county in 1909. In 1950, the Tulsa County Juvenile Court was established in its own facility and provided a judge specializing in juvenile law. In 1968, a juvenile center was built to house the courts and the supportive programs for the juvenile justice system. The programs of the Juvenile Bureau serve those youth and families involved in the juvenile courts, or [those] at risk for involvement."